


Under Current

by unquietspirit



Category: Fake News RPF, Pundit & Broadcast Journalist RPF (US), Real News RPF
Genre: Gen, Pundit Round Table
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-04-06
Updated: 2012-04-06
Packaged: 2017-11-04 16:18:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 729
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/395768
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/unquietspirit/pseuds/unquietspirit
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The PRT read Keith's lawsuit.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Under Current

Their usual diner is unusually busy for a Friday morning. Anderson dodges around two waitresses and a small child on his way to the table. He glances over his shoulder to make sure the kid is wrangled by someone before there's an accident, and when he turns back he sees that Jon and Stephen have already arrived. They're sitting close together, heads almost brushing, as they both read something on Stephen's iPad. Anderson drops into his seat and says, "Hey."

The only response is a vague "mmm" from Jon. Neither of them look up. Anderson frowns and stretches his leg out under the table to poke whoever's shin is nearest with his toes.

"You can play footsie with me all you want, Cooper, but you're not going to suck me into your lifestyle," Stephen says absently. Anderson wonders if he even realizes that he's doing "Stephen."

"What's so interesting?" he asks.

"Keith's lawsuit," says Jon. "It's an epic, tragic tale of blackmail, betrayal, and incompetence. Sorkin should put it in his show."

"I'm sure he's already planning next season's finale around it," Keith says from behind Anderson. A moment later, he's sitting in the chair next to him, looking like he hasn't shaved in days and happier than he has in months.

"Blackmail?" Anderson asks, raising an eyebrow.

Jon flicks a finger across the iPad screen, ignores Stephen's protest, and reads in a dramatic voice, "'Olbermann gave into Hyatt's blackmail for the purpose of saving the premiere of the Program and the jobs of those who worked on it. Olbermann left the meeting devastated at having discovered that he was working for a blackmailer.'" He snorts and asks Keith, "How much of this did you write yourself? It has 'Special Comment' all over it."

"I simply sent my legal council a few editorial suggestions."

"Oh, I'm _sure_ that's all you did."

Stephen, who is mouthing the words as he reads now, looks up suddenly and says, "You offered to take a reduced salary to get Rachel hired? That's really kinda sweet." He looks over Anderson's head and raises his voice slightly. "Rachel, did you know that Keith was going to take a pay-cut for you?"

"I read it last night. And not that I don't appreciate such generosity," Rachel says as she sits down and frowns at Keith, "but what made you think I'd go?"

For the first time since arriving, Keith looks abashed. "In retrospect, it was a horrible idea, and I'm glad I didn't drag you to that hellhole with me." He sighs. "I really thought we had a chance to make something _good_ there. An actual independent, progressive network."

Rachel's eyes soften. "I know," she says, patting his arm.

"So, who was the other journalist you were planning on recruiting, who--" Jon leans closer to Stephen to read off the iPad again "--'would have been immediately recognizable and had credibility with the Countdown audience'? Hayes?"

"No." Keith looks uncomfortable again, and glances sideways at Anderson.

"Me?! You hate my style of journalism!"

"Only when you're doing politics," Keith says. "You're the best at the crises and war stuff. I was thinking you could focus on that."

Anderson is taken so much aback that he doesn't bother pointing out there's no way he could keep up the same standard of foreign reporting without CNN's resources.

"Awww, I think you're blushing, Andy," Jon says.

Fortunately, Stephen saves him from responding. "Wait a minute, you mean you were going to get Andy and Rachel but not us? Jon and I aren't good enough for your independent, progressive network?"

"Yeah," says Jon, eyebrows drawing together, "you don't want to plan out _our_ futures without consulting us?"

"I refuse to answer that on the grounds that it's a trick question," Keith says.

Jon wags a finger at him. "You're not in court yet, Olbermann. You don't get to plead the fifth."

"...It had crossed my mind, but I knew we couldn't afford you guys?"

"Damn straight, you couldn't," says Stephen.

Rachel laughs at them and stands up. "I have to go."

"You just got here!" Anderson protests.

" _Some_ of us aren't on vacation, recently unemployed, or lazy bums that work four days a week," she says. "Later, guys."

They bid her goodbye and immediately start arguing about what a network with all five of them would be like (aside from awesome).


End file.
